Social Support Modifies the Association Between Household Food Insecurity and Depression Among Latinos with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Prevalence of depression is high among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The objective of the current study was to identify the socio-demographic, psychosocial, cultural, and clinical risk factors that predispose to depression, and resources that protect from depression among low income Latinos with T2D. Participants (N = 211) were interviewed in their homes upon enrollment. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms based on a score of ≥21 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Lower household income, interference of diabetes with daily activities, and more T2D clinical symptoms were associated with depression risk in the multivariate analyses. At each level of food insecurity the risk of depression was lower the higher the level of social support (P < 0.05). Findings suggest that social support buffers against the negative influence of household food insecurity on depression risk. A comprehensive approach is necessary to address the mental health needs of low income Latinos with T2D.

Food Insecurity, Depression, and Social Support in HIV-Infected Hispanic Individuals

“…In agreement with previous studies [1-3], we found that food insecurity was significantly associated with depression in bivariate analyses. Social support was a significant mediator of this relationship.…”

“…A study of depression and food insecurity in a population of Latinos with type 2 diabetes from Hartford, Connecticut found that those with high social support were less likely to become depressed when confronted with food insecurity than those with medium or low social support, suggesting that social support acts modifies the association and acts as a buffer in the association between food insecurity and depression in this population [3]. A buffering effect of social support was also seen among people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda, such that instrumental social support protected against the depressive effects of food insecurity [1].…”

“…Food insecurity has been found to be significantly associated with depression in a variety of populations including in HIV-infected individuals [1-3]. Both food insecurity and depression have been shown to be predictors of poor HIV-treatment adherence and other HIV-related outcomes [4-9].…”

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Diabetes Complications in the Northeastern United States: The Role of Socioeconomic Status

“…Other work has shown that Hispanics may have social networks that can provide resources to buffer the deleterious effects of financial deprivation. 51 …”

Psychological Distress Mediates the Association between Food Insecurity and Suboptimal Sleep Quality in Latinos with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…Household food insecurity (HFI) is a major stressor (21) that is associated with depression and diabetes distress (21) and anxiety (22,23). Sleep and wakefulness are disrupted by a variety of factors, including those that are physiologic, behavioral, and environmental (24).…”